1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to systems and methods for providing electrical energy generation through wind power, and more particularly, to systems and methods for collecting, augmenting, and converting wind power to mechanical or electrical energy.
2. Background Information
The conversion of the energy in a wind stream to electricity can be accomplished through the use of wind turbines whose rotors (or blades or impellers) are coupled to a shaft for rotation. The force of an airstream against the surface of the rotors of the turbine causes the shaft to turn, which in turn provides rotary mechanical power that can be utilized to drive one or more generators to produce electricity.
As a fuel source for the production of mechanical power, which in turn can be converted into electricity, the energy of the wind has two main advantages over fossil derived resources, for example, oil, natural gas and coal, because it is inexhaustible and freely available. Although it is freely available, wind energy is also an intermittent resource, and it varies greatly, both in velocity and the direction from which it emanates, even over the course of short periods of time.
Wind turbine technological advancement has followed two paths of development, HAWT (Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine) and VAWT (Vertical Axis Wind Turbine), with HAWT technology dominating the industry. The advantage that HAWT technology has over VAWT is that it is eminently scalable into larger, higher, more powerful applications. The basic underpinning behind HAWT development has been to place larger rotors, which equates to more energy being harvested from the air stream, at greater altitudes where the higher wind velocity allows for greater productivity.
The inherent physical limitations of VAWT technology prevents following the path of ‘ever-larger’ scalability of singular turbines. Past attempts to scale VAWT turbines to larger sizes have been stymied due to the challenges the basic laws of physics place upon the technology.
Regardless of the various configurations utilized by recent VAWT developers, vertical-axis technology is constrained to an operational realm that is fairly close to ground level. At this point in time, the prevailing practice within the vertical-axis industry is the placement of turbines on the rooftops of apartment, retail and industrial buildings to take advantage of building height.
The major disadvantage of vertical-axis technology, i.e., the requirement that VAWT installations be built close to ground level, also presents product developers with two major opportunities or advantages, the first being the ability to construct ‘ground based’ structures that can serve to capture and concentrate elements of the airstream and focus it upon the impellers of wind power generation plants lodged within said structures. A second opportunity afforded to VAWT developers is locating mechanical systems of the wind power generation plant close to the ground, allowing for easy access for purposes of repair and maintenance.
The ability to construct ground based installations that can serve to capture and concentrate portions of the passing airstream is enhanced in mountainous regions, where the contoured terrain serves to naturally augment and focus the wind stream. In mountainous regions, the wind resource is often stronger closer to the ground than at higher altitudes. In these areas, VAWT wind power generation plants, lodged within structures as described above, have the potential to exhibit production profiles that are equal to, or greater than, the most efficient installations of the utility scale HAWT technology.
An additional issue that must be taken into account, when attempting to capitalize upon the fact that mountainous regions often have stronger wind power resources closer to ground level, is that the same physical features that produce this effect, ridgelines, passage gaps, bluffs, and other structures, are a very individualized resource, with many specific nuances and peculiarities related to the wind patterns at any particular location.
There remains a need for capturing, augmenting, and focusing elements of air streams to convert wind power to mechanical or electrical energy.
The above-identified drawing figures set forth several preferred embodiments of the invention. Other embodiments are also contemplated, as disclosed herein. The disclosure represents the invention, but is not limited thereby, as it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art which fall within the scope and spirit of the invention as claimed.